The present invention relates to a bathtub and more particularly to a bathtub that has a side or front panel which slides downwards to allow a handicapped person in a wheelchair or on a trolley to move into the bathtub without having to climb over a side of the bathtub.
Handicapped people, such as paraplegics, and elderly people often require assistance to climb over the side of a bathtub. Whereas this may be acceptable in hospitals and in homes for the elderly, it always requires another person to be present which does not permit independence in the home.
Various attempts have been made to provide a bathtub that a handicapped person can use by himself. Some of these include bathtubs with special seats and sliding panels that lift up. One example of such a bathing arrangement is disclosed by the Houle et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,367. Another type of bathtub is provided by Hanson in U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,166 which shows a sliding door to lift up and move to one side and rest on a rail assembly thus providing an access into a bathtub. None of these units, however, permit an individual in either a wheelchair or on a trolley of some kind to advance into the bathtub and there is a need for such a bathtub for use in hospitals and in the home.